Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-08-19
THE PoUGHKEEPsIE BRIDGE.
How the Men Work In Mid-Air ana
Like IL.

How the Men WORK In Miu-H' III"
Like IL.
The Poughkeepsie Eagle says: Peo-
pie who have been watching the cree
ton of the false work at the east shore
anchorage pier at the bridge and out IN
the river between piers 2 and havo !
been wonderfully interested in the agili-
ty and what seemed TO them daredevil
recklessness of the trained men on the
Job. They have seen them crawling
along on the Orders and braces nearly
hundred feet high, leaping from tim
Der TO timber. or running along the
narrow planking. now STOPPING over to
aid In the hosting OF timber or iron'
now standing on the extreme edge OF
the river front Of work peering down
upon the rocks and river below, or GO
ing along hand over hand among the
braces with apparently as much ease
and comfort as though moving along
on terra frma.
They are all used to that kind OF
work" said Gen. Field, of the Union
Bridge company, land have no fear
whatever. When we were building the
cantilever over the whirlpool rapids at
| Niagara, 24O feet above the running
waters, they were just rs daring as
they are here. / remember when we
had the job about completed | was up
there one day. The cantilever arms
were then within fifty feet OF each
other, and 1t was decided to connect
them temporarily with plank. This
plank was about ffty-iive feet in
length, about two and q half feet of
each end resting on the cantilever
arms. The foreman had issued strict
order prohibiting any one of the men
from crossing the plank until it was
firmly fastened at each end, the penal
ty being immediate dismissal. There
had been a great deal of talk among
the men as TO who would be the first
one TO cross l was standing on the
American side OF the structure, when l
saw one of the men walk out on the
, plank, look ut it minute, then look
/ down into the whirlpool below. | felt
that he was going to cross the plank,
but | was too far from him TO make
him hear. He waited second or two,
and then deliberately walked out on
I the plank. and when he reached the
middle of it he stopped over, seized
, the edges of the plank in both hands,
a and, throwing h s feet up, stood on his
$ head and kicked his heels and shouted
: to the the terrific lockers on. He mus
' have been minute doing it, but fel
, as though il was half an hour. Aftel
t satisfying himself that he had KICKED
= enough he regained his equilibrium anC
: trotted along the plank to the opposite
: side from where he started, seized hol'
d one of the iron braces OF the cantileve
2 and went down it head first, hanC
n over hand TO the bottom. l never say
t anything like it before. OF course tn
d foreman discharged him and he wa
, laid off two or three days, when sen
Is for him. He was one OF the best me
,t on the job. and talked to hir
ot like a Dutch uncle, and put him
a work again. These men have no fear
st they are brought mp to the business
he and feel just as safe $50 feet in the al
lie as they do on the ground. OF course
ID can see how people wonder at sue
Ill things, but we have got used to 1t. Th
1T best time to see them travel is at Ii
dinner hour or when the days work
lis completed.